Fruitless
by Endohsan
Summary: The Sohma family finds out the meaning of lonesome versus being alone. note Not completed.


Disclaimer: We love them but not ours. You know the rest.

* * *

The park was empty for a weekday. Save for a solitary figure sitting on a park bench, the birds had the place to themselves.

Akito tugged listlessly on his kimono collar, more bothered than he'd like to admit by the midday sun. He gazed out over the small pond full of swimming koi... and thought of his family. They had been on his mind frequently in the last couple of days.

As a couple of small birds cautiously hopped over to him, he held out his hand. He didn't feel much serenity in the gesture. Even a smile would tax his energy today.

As the rapid thoughts filtered through his mind, he found instead the ability to frown.

* * *

"We need more leeks."

Tohru looked up from putting on her shoes. "Leeks? But we've been having leeks all week!"

Yuki simply shrugged and put on a half-smile. "I know. I seem to have developed a liking to them."

Tohru, thinking of Kyo's reaction if he found another bag of leeks in the kitchen, was about to raise an objection when the front door slid open.

"Tohru-kun!" came an enthusiastic voice. They both turned to find a bundle of colorful energy bounding towards them.

"Momiji-" Hatori's voice interrupted from behind the boy. He grabbed onto a fluttering scarf and halted Momiji in his tracks. "-Stay."

"But I wanna hug Tohru!" he whined. "I haven't seen her all week!"

"H-hello, Momiji-chan. Hatori-san." Tohru stuttered in surprise. What were they doing here?

"We came to see Shigure," Hatori said abruptly, as if reading her mind.

Tohru blinked. "He's in his office."

"And we're going shopping for dinner," Yuki finished tying his shoes and stood up.

"I'm going!" Momiji exclaimed. He started for Tohru again.

Hatori tugged on the scarf again, bringing Momiji to a jerking stop. "No. You're staying here."

Amid Momiji's indignant squeals of outrage, Kyo opened the dining room door, peering in disgust at the assembled group. "Hey, keep it down! I'm trying to watch tv in here!"

Hatori turned his sharp eyes down to Kyo. "In fact..." he said thoughtfully.

"We'll be back in a little while," Tohru reassured Momiji, then picked up the shopping bags and left with Yuki in tow.

"Kyo will watch you, Momiji," Hatori announced, dropping his coat onto the nearby coatrack and walking down the hallway.

"Huh? Wha-?!"

"Yay!" Momiji cheered, his attention successfully diverted. "Kyo!"

"No!"

* * *

Shigure looked up from his book and smirked. "So, Hatori. There's got to be a reason for you to come here." His smirk turned smug. "Or maybe it's just to see little ol' me." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Hatori just shook his head, ignoring Shigure's comment. "Akito has been more... reclusive lately."

Shigure tapped his chin thoughtfully, thinking aloud. "Isn't Akito _always_ like that, though?" He tilted his head inquisitively at Hatori.

* * *

"When's Tohru getting back? Kyo!" Momiji had been whining for the past couple of minutes now. Kyo had first tried to ignore the little brat, but had progressively started to get more and more irritated. In the end, he blows up, as expected.

"SHUT UP!"

To Kyo's personal instinct, he pounds his fist into the nearest object - a brand new table. It collapses instantly under the impact of his fist and is reduced to a pile of firewood. The abrupt gesture scares Momiji half to death, leaving him cowering on the floor, covering his technicolored hat.

"Kyo!" he exclaims in a high-pitched whine. "That wasn't nice! You scared me!"

Kyo just grumbles, "Quiet, you brat."

"What's Shii-chan going to say?!"

A few minutes later, Yuki and Tohru returned with thier groceries. As the door opens, Momiji swiftly turns their direction and squeals, "TOHRU!"

He runs toward her enthusiastically.

There is a split second for Tohru and Yuki to react. They both start, "Mo-"

POOF!

A small white bunny lands in Tohru's arms as the smoke clears. Amid the blank stares of the boys, the bunny starts nuzzling her affectionately. Tohru, despite herself, can't resist giggling. She pets the rabbit, completely forgetting about the bag full of leeks on the floor.

At this time, Shigure and Hatori enter the main hallway and find a scowling Kyo, an indifferent Yuki (who's picking up the forgotten produce), and Tohru, who happens to be cuddling a small white rabbit.

"Well," Shigure remarked in the awkward silence, "Who didn't see this coming?"

Hatori just sighed and walks to Tohru, retreiving Momiji.

It is at this time that Shigure glances down to see his new table in pieces. "Aw... my new table..." He promptly turns to Kyo. "You could have contained your anger better, Kyo," he scolds lightly, almost as if he didn't mean a word. "Just until Tohru-kun got home, you know."


End file.
